Team Goemkarponn
MOPA: Farmers in the Mopa-Tambose belt are once again facing the threat of crop damage following the return of the wild elephant known as ‘Omkar’. The elephant has reportedly entered plantations in the area, raising anxiety among cultivators ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi.
The farmers’ main concern is the alleged handling of the elephant along the Goa-Maharashtra border. They claim that instead of being safely managed, the animal is repeatedly pushed from one state to the other. When it moves towards Maharashtra, it is allegedly driven back towards Goa, and when it enters Goa, similar attempts are made to send it towards Maharashtra.
According to the farmers, this cycle has done little to address the underlying problem. The elephant eventually finds its way back to the border villages, where plantations are once again exposed to damage.
Farmers said they need a long-term solution rather than limited compensation after their crops have already been destroyed. They have called for coordinated action by the authorities of both states to prevent the elephant from repeatedly entering cultivated areas.
The immediate concern is the approaching Ganesh Chaturthi season, when banana and other horticultural crops grown by local farmers are close to being harvested. For many families, the festive-season market provides an important source of income and helps meet expenses associated with the celebrations.
With the elephant now back in the area, farmers fear that plantations ready for harvest could be damaged, resulting in significant financial losses at a crucial time of the year.
Local Panchayat member Daya Gavandi has appealed to the government to act urgently before further damage occurs.
“Farmers are terrified as the elephant has returned to the Mopa-Tambose area just ahead of Chaturthi. The government must take concrete steps without delay to save the crops that are on the verge of harvest,” Gavandi said.This version changes the sentence structure, sequencing, phrasing and story angle rather than simply replacing words.
